The Kuwaiti Olympic Committee was suspended due to interference from the government. The suspension started in October 2015.[6] Also in 2010, Kuwait was suspended, but this suspension was lifted before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.[6]

One fencer competed as Independent Athlete into the Olympic competition. Abdulaziz Al-Shatti had claimed his Olympic spot in the men's épée with a top finish at the Asian Zonal Qualifier in Wuxi, China, signifying the nation's sporters' return to the sport at the Olympics for the first time since 2000.

Kuwaiti individual shooters – starting as Independent Athletes and not for their country – have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2015 World Shotgun and Asian Championships, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by March 31, 2016.[7]